Recklessly Royal (12 page)

“You’re absolutely correct, Doctor. Selene works in her sleep. But we’ll find a way to keep her calm and in a place where she can heal.” I held my hand out to shake. “Thank you so much for your great care. I can’t begin to explain how much I appreciate all of your time and hard work. Selene is like family to me.”

“I’m happy to help, and even happier to be able to report good news.” He shook my hand and smiled warmly. “The worst part is over. Now you just need to keep her in bed so she can heal.”

I almost snorted. He was right, but he was wrong. Selene was out of danger’s direct path, but I was about to be in for the fight of my life. Keeping that woman down and relaxed would be a near-impossible job.

As the doctor left I slumped back into a seat as relief washed over my body like a tidal wave. Every muscle went limp and I could barely hold my eyes open.

“Tabitha, can you find me a hotel room nearby?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Tabitha picked up her phone and began pressing buttons on the screen. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go back to D’Lynsal? It’s only an hour away by helicopter.”

“I think my sister wants to be near her friend.” Max touched my shoulder in support. “Plus it would be irresponsible to use the helicopter just because we were tired.” The reprimand in his words was gentle but clear. We were a wealthy family, but that didn’t mean we didn’t have to answer for the use of certain things.

“Of course. I apologize.” Tabitha bent her head. “I was just thinking of what was best for Princess Catherine.”

“Thanks, but I want to be near Selene.” I couldn’t help the yawn that followed my words. “And could you make sure someone takes care of Xavier, my dog, while I’m here. I had planned on going back to the palace tomorrow.”

“Yes, ma’am. And I’ve found a suitable establishment a few minutes from the hospital. I can have the team check it out right now.”

“Send one car ahead of us.” Max pulled me to my feet. “Please make sure that there are rooms for me and my team as well. I will be staying with my sister.”

“Of course, sir.”

I waited until I had seen Selene before I would leave. She was still unconscious, but knowing that she was stable and in good hands helped me let go for a while.

Max was waiting for me outside the hospital room when I was ready to leave. “There are reporters outside.”

“Of course there are.” If I’d had the energy I would have snarled, but at this point I just wanted to sleep and to be left alone. “They just can’t wait to get more pictures.”

Max wrapped his arm around me and squeezed me against his side. “Keep your head down and I’ll get you to the car before making a statement.”

“No, you don’t have to do that.” I shook my head. Talking to the press was physically painful for Max.

“Hush.” He leaned down and whispered in my ear as we walked past hospital staff. “I can handle this, Cath. I’m not twelve anymore. Stop being so damn tough and let someone else take care of things for a little while.”

I looked up at him and felt my eyes well up for the eighteenth time that day. Max might be my older brother, but for all royal duties, Alex and I tended to keep him tucked safely away. That’s what happens when your brother finds out about his father’s death during a press conference. But right now, it wasn’t surprised and hurt green eyes looking at me. It was the eyes of a grown man ready to protect his sister. And right now, I felt like I needed a little protecting.

“Okay.”

“I’d rub it in that you let me win, but I think I’ll let it slide this time.”

“Oh yeah. Way to let it slide.” I elbowed him in the ribs. “I’ll see you at the hotel.”

“Be safe.” He let his arm drop from my shoulders and met the press as I made a quick getaway with my security team.

Jameson moved so quickly past the cameras and reporters that I had to lengthen my stride. The car ride was silent, except for Tabitha tapping on her phone. There was no small talk, no friendly glances or comforting words—and I was thankful for that. I had nothing left to give, much less to build a relationship of any kind with Tabitha.

The hotel was large and the doormen didn’t blink an eye at royalty entering their building. Tabitha took care of the check-in and led our group up to a penthouse. I looked around the entryway blankly. I had seen everything in the apartment before to some extent or another. Three bedrooms; a small, boring living room; a kitchen and eating area. Nothing exciting.

“I thought you might like the bedroom off to the right. There is a large tub and I had the maids draw you a bath.” Tabitha walked over to the door and opened it with a flourish. “I sent Mark to D’Lynsal to bring you some clothes. If there is anything in particular you need, let me know and I will pass the information along.”

“There is always a bag of extra clothes in the car.” I sighed quietly. “But thank you. This just means I won’t have to worry about ironing.”

“I went through the bag and you only had one dress, and a pair of jeans.” Tabitha frowned. “I thought we might be here longer than a day.”

“You’re right.” She had gone through my bag? Without asking? My instant ire probably had more to do with my sleep-deprived state than anything else. I reeled in my anger and counted to five. “But next time, please ask before you go through my things.”

“Of course, ma’am. I apologize.” Tabitha bobbed her head. “I was just trying to not bother you with unimportant things.”

“My privacy is very important.” I shook my head. “I’m going to take that bath and then go to bed. If Max needs me or something changes with Selene, wake me; otherwise, I’d like to sleep for a few hours.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Tabitha turned and walked over to the kitchen table without a curtsy or head bob.

It wasn’t that I needed that show of respect, nor did I really want it, but it felt odd to work with someone so new who treated me as if she’d known me forever. Selene came and went as she pleased, had a way of telling me something in a motherly fashion while still maintaining protocol. Apparently working with Tabitha was going to be a very different experience. Sighing, I shook my head and went into the room. When I shut the door I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

My head was pounding, but it was probably from the stress. Stripping my clothes off, I made my way to the bathroom and felt my first smile in hours. The smell of lavender and the warm water went a long way to easing the tension in my neck and shoulders.

By the time the water was cold, I could barely hold my eyes open. Thankfully there was a fresh housecoat hanging on a hook from the door. I barely took the time to dry off before wrapping myself in the thick softness of the bathrobe. I shuffled to the bed and flopped onto the down comforter and was fast asleep before I realized I had closed my eyes.

It felt like it had been only moments when Max’s voice woke me. Groggily I looked at the clock in confusion. Why was he making so much noise at midnight? I scrubbed at my eyes and tucked the robe closer to my body. One leg was almost frozen because I hadn’t taken the time to climb under the blankets. Sitting up, I pulled the robe tight and looked around my temporary room. There was a small clock sitting on the bedside table and I blinked. The little red dot on the side said it was p.m., not a.m.

“For the love of all that is holy!” I jumped out of bed and dashed across the room to yank the door open. “Why did you let me sleep so late? How is Selene?”

My eyes scanned the room for Tabitha but landed on David instead. He was sitting on the small sofa with a book perched on his leg, but his eyes were trained on me. It was in that moment that I realized I was still wearing a bathrobe that was barely held shut by the loose belt.

“Good morning.” His deep voice sent goose bumps over my skin. Everything in the room seemed to disappear, and for a moment it was just the two of us staring at each other.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Hi,” Chadwick piped up from his seat at the dining room table. His laptop was open and he shot a smile over the screen. “Nice to see you too.”

“Chadwick! Why did you let me sleep so late?” I started to put my hands on my hips as I glared at him, but thought better of it. Instead I pulled my belt a little tighter and glared at my friend.

“I was
instructed
to let you recuperate after your trying day.” He stressed the one word in such a way that it became a language of its own.

“Where is she?” I looked around the room for Tabitha but she was nowhere to be seen.

“I believe she’s taken it upon herself to contact your appointments and reschedule. She’s also sent a message to Samantha.”

“She what?” My voice dropped to a whisper and I could feel my temper brewing just under the surface. “Why? Why would she bother Sam?”

“She just wanted to alert the princess of the unfortunate events.” Chadwick raised an eyebrow. “Of course, Sam and Alex were ready to come back to help out, but I’ve made them promise to wait until they could speak with you directly.”

“Is that why you’re here?” My eyes shot from Chadwick to David and back.

“Well, partly.” Chadwick shrugged. “David and I were worried about Selene . . . and you.” He closed his laptop gently. “And I wanted to have a talk with Tabitha about contacting my charges directly. That’s against protocol.”

“There is a protocol for who can contact Sam?” David asked from his seat. He had closed his book and was watching the exchange between Chadwick and me with interest.

“Yes. All correspondences should be delivered through me or my staff. Tabitha should know this.” Chadwick leaned back in his chair. “I’ve never said anything before, but she’s—”

“Overzealous?” I sighed. The last thing I needed right now was an assistant who couldn’t manage her job. Trying to find another that I could trust during a time like this would be nearly impossible. “I was going to call Alex today. He’s known Selene longer than I have and figured that he would want more information. There was no need for her to upset either of them on their honeymoon.”

“Especially considering how recently Sam lost her father,” David spoke up. “I know she seems tough, but she’s sensitive.”

“We know,” Chadwick and I responded at the same time.

“I forget that she’s been here for so long. It still seems weird that she is royal. You guys got to see the transformation firsthand. For me, she’ll always be the girl that got crapped on by a vulture.” David shrugged.

“Sam got crapped on by a vulture?” I laughed loudly. “Oh, now that’s a story I need to hear.”

“I’ll save it for our date.” He smiled at me and my knees went a little wobbly. It didn’t sound like he was upset about our date. “Whenever you’re ready for one, that is.”

Oh, I was ready. Until I remembered Selene and the help she would need. “It might have to be pushed back a little.”

“You two are a little disgusting, you know that?” Chadwick said. “I think I might drown in the pheromones floating around. And your scheduled interlude is not going to need to be pushed back.” Only he would be able to get away with such a comment without getting sacked. “I spoke with the doctors this morning and Selene is doing very well. She’s sleeping a lot, but they expect her to heal quickly. And if you think you’re going to be nursing her back to health, think again. I’ve seen how you cook, and your chicken noodle soup would land her back in the hospital.”

“Hey!” This time I did put one hand on my hip while I stared him down. Despite my pose, I was too happy to hear Selene was doing well to be truly offended by his jab at my cooking skills. “It’s not that bad. Okay, it’s bad, but it wouldn’t land her in the hospital. You can live on my cooking!”

“Of course.” Chadwick opened his computer back up. “If you also order takeout every night.”

David chuckled. “It can’t be that bad.”

“It’s not!” I sat down in the chair across from him.

“Oh really? Why don’t you tell him how you make macaroni and cheese?” Chadwick never looked up from whatever he was working on.

“I’m never telling Sam anything again.” I shook my head. Apparently my new sister had shared my cooking mishap.

“How do you mess up macaroni and cheese? You just boil noodles and add the cheese!” David leaned forward in his seat, a twinkle in his eye letting me know that he enjoyed seeing me shift in discomfort.

“It’s not a big deal.” I picked at the terry-cloth robe and didn’t meet his eyes. “I added the wrong stuff.”

“Oh, Catherine. Don’t lie. You didn’t add the wrong stuff. You boiled the wrong stuff.” Chadwick snorted.

“You forgot the water?”

I met David’s confused eyes and shook my head. “No. I skipped water completely and boiled the pasta in milk.” Sighing I decided to go ahead and tell the whole story. “Not only did I boil the milk, I refused to not eat my food just because it smelled weird, and ended up with food poisoning. I missed my first two days of classes.”

Chadwick was trying so hard to stifle his giggles that he ended up snorting loudly.

“But I make a mean cup of coffee.” I added in my defense.

“This is important information.” David scratched his chin. “I’ve just learned that I shouldn’t eat anything you cook; and you’re so stubborn that you would rather make yourself sick than admit defeat.”

“I’ve gotten much better at cooking.” David’s eyes shifted to over my shoulder and I turned just in time to see Chadwick touching his nose in agreement. “But yes. I am that stubborn.”

“Good to know.” David’s eyes ran over my body to where my leg peeked out from under my robe.

“I should really find some clothes.” I stood up, careful to keep the material in place.

Chadwick stood up from his seat and grabbed a bag that was hidden behind a chair. “I believe this is yours.”

“Thank you.” I took the bag and headed to my room. Before I closed the door I looked at David and then Chadwick. “How long are you two staying?”

“I’ve moved our schedule around so that David could attend some of his meetings in town.” Chadwick didn’t have to tell me why. I knew he was worried about leaving me with Tabitha. And as much as I loved having him here, Tabitha and I would be fine. We just needed to find our groove.

“Once I’m ready I’m going to the hospital. You’re welcome to come with me.” I meant the offer for both of them, but it was David I looked at when asking. “It would be nice to have a friend along.”